Everyday Prayers for FaithSample

God Is Faithful to Give Rest

If there has ever been a time when I’ve desperately felt the need for rest, it is right now. Between writing, managing my family’s health, driving everywhere, running all the errands—and, oh, you want to eat too?—I’m exhausted. But I’ve learned that our exhaustion is not always a sign that we’ve said yes to too many things. Our natural inclination is to think we need to do less, but life with a special needs child doesn’t lend itself to physical rest. For me, in this season, physical rest just isn’t possible, but that doesn’t mean God won’t fulfill His promise of rest.

We are loaded up and burdened with illness, work, heavy hearts, grief, rituals, and life itself. Jesus doesn’t say He will take away the burden. Instead, He promises us rest. Under His yoke, we find the weight of the burden lifted. But what is this burden?

Jesus speaks these famous words in the context of the Sabbath. I think this is key to understanding His promised rest. Jewish law mandated a Sabbath every seven days as laid out in the Ten Commandments. Over the years, the Jewish religious leaders had added over three hundred laws to define what constituted work on the Sabbath. In addition, sacrifices and cleansing rituals were required for the people to remain pure. The burden of religion was heavy. The yoke God’s people were under was not restful, but Jesus came to redefine Sabbath. He can do that because He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). He came to free us from the ritualistic burden of religion and offer us His grace-filled relationship of rest. He came to release us from having to carry it all. He came to give us a new yoke—one that is easy and light. Our gentle and lowly Savior came to make a way so that God’s presence would be with us always, without us having to work for it. We always have rest because we always have the presence of God with us.

Prayer

Lord, let Your presence be with me today. Breathe restful life over my soul. May I remember that I do not need to carry the burdens I feel; instead, I can lay them at Your feet, take Your yoke, and rest. Thank You for coming to redefine Sabbath rest. Thank You for showing us the way in which we should walk. Thank You for the promise of rest even when I feel anything but rested.